Does your compost consist of common waste including the usual fruit and vegetable peels, leaves, grass clippings, etc.? Consult the list below to make the most out of your compost bin and start composting some of these surprising items!
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Tea bags
- Paper napkins
- Crumbs from the counters and floors
- Plain cooked pasta and rice
- Bread
- Olive pits
- Cereals, crackers, chips, cookies, etc.
- Nut shells (except walnut shells, which contain a chemical that can be toxic to plants)
- Herbs and spices
- Pretzels
- Pizza crusts
- Cereal boxes (torn into small pieces)
- Wine corks
- Moldy cheese
- Melted ice cream
- Old jelly, jam, or preserves
- Beer and wine
- Cardboard and paper egg cartons
- Toothpicks
- Bamboo skewers
- Facial tissues
- Human and pet hair
- Nail clippings
- 100% cotton balls
- Dryer lint
- 100 % cotton or wool clothing (ripped or cut into small pieces)
- Pencil shavings
- Paper business cards (as long as they aren’t glossy)
- Receipts
- Newspapers (shredded or torn into small pieces)
- Ashes from the fireplace, barbecue grill, or outdoor fire pit
- Latex balloons
- Feathers
- Dry dog or cat food
- Wood chips and sawdust
- Fabric sheets from the dryer
- Paper bags (ripped or balled up)
- Post-it notes
- Pizza boxes (ripped into small pieces)
- Paper plates (as long as they don’t have a waxy coating)
- Paper envelopes, bills and other documents (make sure not to compost envelopes with
- plastic windows and that the paper has been shredded)
- Paper or wood-based matches
- Paper towel/ toilet paper/ wrapping paper rolls
- Leather belts, shoes, wallets, gloves (it is best if the leather is fairly old)
- Elmer’s glue
- Masking tape
- Jell-O (gelatin)
- Paper muffin and cupcake cups
- Price tags
- Candy (with the wrapper removed)
- Chewing gum
- Old rope
- Dead houseplants
- Halloween pumpkins
- Rawhide dog chews
Please note that not all of these items are organic and therefore should not be added to your compost if it will be used in an organic garden.
Image by Becky F